Being the new neighbor on the block can be an intimidating experience, especially if you’re moving to a new state or a different country where cultural differences and language barriers may take time to overcome. Getting acclimated always takes time, but if there’s a newcomer to your neighborhood, you can facilitate the process by welcoming them into the community.

As a resident in your neighborhood, it’s not only considerate to welcome your new neighbors, it’s also wise to get to know them. Starting off on the right foot with your new neighbor ensures you can approach them in a friendly way should any issues arise in the future. Here are some great ways to welcome your neighbors and get to know them in the process.

How to Welcome Your New Neighbors

Greet them as they’re moving in – While it may seem counterintuitive, meeting your neighbors as they move in is a fantastic opportunity for an introduction. Not only can you introduce yourself, but you can also offer an extra hand to help move their boxes inside. It’s a wonderful way to build a foundation for your relationship – if they say no, offer your contact information in case they change their mind later.

Create a welcome package – Chances are, you neighbor isn’t affiliated with all the local amenities and resources near your neighborhood yet. Go above and beyond by baking a pie for your neighbors as a welcome gift. Create a welcome package that includes information on local businesses nearby like grocery stores, restaurants and physician offices. Include contact information on local school districts or government offices nearby like the DMV – your neighbor will appreciate it.

Host a dinner party – Your neighbors will likely be exhausted from moving in, and their dinner plans will probably include pizza or takeout. Welcome them to the neighborhood with a delicious homecooked meal. As they’re moving in, introduce yourself and invite them over for dinner that night when they take a break to eat. Make sure to note any food allergies they may have and get their opinion on what meals they like best. Your neighbors will appreciate the gesture, and hosting dinner is a great way to get to know your neighbors more.

Get Acclimated to Your New Neighborhood Quickly with Arrow Moving

At Arrow Moving we aim to get you settled into your new home as quickly as possible while providing excellent and timely moving services. Every Arrow move is hassle-free and has many flexible options that work for any budget, whether you’re considering a DIY or full-service move.

Arrow offers clients:

Professional, uniformed staff

Full-service packing services

Unpacking and debris removal

Quality packing materials

Short and long-term storage

Online shipment tracking

We work according to your timeline so your move fits your schedule. Contact Arrow Moving to schedule your move today!

Homeowners across the country have begun to shun the average American single-family home in lieu of a revolutionary new lifestyle. The tiny house revolution is gaining members quickly, especially with the advent of a culture that prioritizes experiences over possessions. Tiny homes are excellent ways for homeowners to declutter and downsize while seeking adventure. However, living in a home specifically designed and built to be smaller than 400 square feet isn’t for everyone. Before buying or building your own tiny home, you may want to consider a few important factors.

Will it Fit Your Lifestyle?

Buying, building and living in a tiny house is a commitment to a less materialistic lifestyle. This sounds great to many people, but others may not be able to handle the close quarters and the loss of their superfluous possessions. Remember: that’s okay. Homes are incredibly personal investments, so it makes sense they aren’t one-size-fits-all.

If you can handle the downsizing, consider, then, if you even want to live in a portable, towable home. Tiny houses are overwhelmingly considered trailers or RVs, meaning you’ll require a vehicle that can tow your house as well as a place to park it. If the portability is part of the charm for you, then you and your tiny home are simply meant to be!

Location, Location, Location

As stated, most tiny houses are portable trailers that can be towed by a vehicle. Due to zoning laws, you won’t be able to simply purchase an empty lot in your favorite suburban neighborhood and set up shop. Portable tiny homes are often classified as RVs, so you may find the perfect lot to rent or buy in a nearby campground or RV park.

Don’t worry, though. If living among tents and RVs is less than appealing, your tiny home can also be parked in friends’ or family members’ yards or even in specified tiny home communities where you’ll be surrounded by other like-minded homeowners. Just keep in mind that these communities are few and far between and often have a long waiting list, as many people are excited about this new way of living.

The moral of the story is, you need to plan where you’re going to park your tiny home ahead of time, and you need to be sure your location is legal. You don’t want to pick the perfect tiny home without someplace to put it. Consult with the zoning department in your city or state before committing to purchasing the land on which to construct or park your tiny home.

The Bottom Line

Part of the universal appeal of a tiny house is its smaller price tag. Homeowners love that they can custom build a beautiful little home for significantly less money than they’d spend on a traditional single-family home. However, tiny homes aren’t without their surprise fees and payments.

There are plenty of pre-built tiny homes available for purchase, but most home buyers are searching for something that will fit their unique needs. Luckily, homebuyers can turn to one of many custom tiny homebuilders to craft their specially-designed home from scratch, though this may cost you extra in labor and design costs.

Beyond the home itself, homebuyers need to rent or purchase their ideal lot of land on which to park their creation. Whether you have a mortgage or lease on your lot, you’ll need to take into account the monthly costs associated with your parking space. Tiny homes aren’t quite houses and aren’t quite trailers, strictly speaking, so you’ll need to apply for building, utility and plumbing permits to set up those creature comforts in your tiny house. Governmental administration fees can add up if you aren’t prepared.

Because tiny houses are towable vehicles, also consider the storage and fuel costs associated with transporting your home. Though many homeowners choose to stay put once they set down roots, some love the idea of picking up and traveling with their tiny home, so fuels costs could skyrocket.

Fear not, tiny homebuyer. All these fees and monthly payments don’t have to be scary. Many of these are startup costs that will only recur if you change locations. In addition, tiny homes are still eligible for loans from your local mortgage broker, bank or tiny home builder.

Make Moving Easy with Arrow Moving & Storage

When you’re ready to live a less materialistic life in a custom-built tiny house, we’ll help you get there. At Arrow Moving & Storage, we’ll help you tackle the strenuous moving process and transport your most necessary possessions into your new little home. Our professionally licensed and insured movers will handle all your items with care, allowing you to enjoy the start of your newest adventure. Contact us online or call (800) 593-6683 to receive your free quote today!

Getting in shape can be a daunting task for many individuals who aren’t used to regular exercise. Going to a gym and paying for an expensive monthly membership may also be contributing to those same feelings of anxiety. Why shell out a large fee just to feel uncomfortable at a public gym when you could set up your own workout space right in the comfort of your own home? It’s easier than you think.

Location

Before you start breaking out the dumbbells and doing some crunches, you’ll need to find the perfect location to in your home. Location, however, is about more than simply having the extra space to do your yoga routine. It’s also about putting yourself in the right mindset for productive exercise. Dark rooms do nothing to inspire activity. Create your home workout space in a room with plenty of natural light and upbeat, energizing décor. Paint can do wonders to excite you. Slap a new coat of a brightly colored paint on the walls to inspire you to get the blood pumping.

Equipment

Decide what sorts of workouts you’ll be doing. By planning your workouts ahead of time, you’ll be able to narrow down the equipment you need and that which you don’t. If you’re more interested in aerobics and flexibility training than cardio, for example, there’s no need to crowd your workout space with stair climbers and ellipticals. Figure out new, innovative ways for you to complete workouts without much equipment. Dumbbells, yoga mats and jump ropes are excellent starter pieces that can be used for many types of exercise.

Protection

Keep yourself and your floors safe before you start doing jumping jacks. If you have a hard flooring type such as cement or wood, you’ll need to provide some padding to absorb the impact of your workouts and protect both your joints and floors. Lay carpets, basket weave or foam mats to accomplish the job nicely.

If you’re new to creating workouts, you may feel unsure about particular movements. Doing an exercise improperly could cause you to injure yourself more easily. Install a mirror so you can watch yourself moving. If you’re doing a workout incorrectly, you can see it and correct it before continuing.

Moving and Storage Services in Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Cheyenne and Salt Lake City

With the perfect exercise room, you’ll be all the more inspired to take the next steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Not enough room in your current place to build your dream workout space? It may be time to find your next dream home with plenty of space for all your exercise equipment. Arrow Moving can help you during your transition into your new home. You can count on our friendly movers to provide dedicated, caring service throughout your whole move. Contact us online or call (800) 593-6683 to request your quote.

It’s finally happening! You’re making the move. Whether you’re relocating across town, across the state or across the country, you want to make sure all your belongings get to your final destination in one piece, safe and sound.

There are some items, however, that may require extra careful handling due to their sentimentality or value – such as your fine art. With the right moving company on your side, you can rest easy knowing your fine art is packed, moved or stored with the care it deserves.

Packing It Up

The first step to ensuring all your most important fine art pieces get to your new home, place of business or storage unit safely is proper packing. As much as we would like it, all fine art is not created equal. A family heirloom statuette, for example, must be packed differently than a priceless painting.

Luckily, with the packing expertise of professional movers, like those at Arrow Moving & Storage, you can rest assured your art will be packed delicately and securely using our industry best practices.

Once the art is wrapped in protective layers of padding, cling wrap or bubble wrap, our moving professionals will recommend crating your valuable in sturdy wooden crates. Custom-built crates will provide the extra protection cardboard boxes simply can’t offer while also preventing tossing and tumbling during the move.

Making the Move

Moving your fine art and antiques can be tricky if you aren’t experienced in hauling wooden crates with care.

First, keep the weather in mind for both the painting’s and your sake. Moving during a warm day is not only miserable for you, but also could cause any painting you may have packed away to melt.

For this reason, moving heat-sensitive valuables during fall or winter is recommended. If the moving day must happen during the spring or summer, you may instead benefit from temporarily storing your paintings in a climate-controlled storage unit with Arrow Moving & Storage.

Other antiques, valuables and art can be moved as usual with the help of Arrow movers. Upon arrival at the final destination, your movers will assist you with unloading, opening and removing your pieces gently.

Protecting Your Valuables

Still worried about potential damage to your fine art and antiques? Arrow Moving & Storage offers transparency and protection for every client’s belongings. Insurance is recommended and available for purchase to cover all your belongings, not just your fine art.

Additionally, before any packing is done, our moving professionals will take inventory of your belongings and their condition, so you can check how we did as soon as you arrive in your new home.

Enjoy a More Stress-Free Move with Arrow Moving & Storage, Inc.

Moving fine art doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking! The professionals at Arrow Moving & Storage make it their mission to provide the best service possible to Colorado Springs, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City and San Antonio residents, no matter where you go.

Planning for a move – whether it’s just across town, to another state or clear across the country – can be overwhelming to say the least.

In addition to figuring out the logistics of how you’re going to physically get your family and all your belongings from point A to point B, you’ll likely have a long list of other individuals and companies to contact to ensure all outstanding bills are paid, services are terminated/activated and any other necessary actions are taken.

But before you start checking off all these other items on your to-do list, the first thing you should do is create a detailed moving budget.

Setting a budget will not only give you a rough estimate of what you can expect to pay before, during and after the move, but will also help ensure you don’t end up paying more in the long-run than you would’ve if you had taken the time to set a budget in the first place.

Here’s an overview of what you should include in your moving budget checklist to keep your expenses under control and avoid being shocked by the overall cost of the move once it’s all said and done.

Before the Move

Account for the cost of your final utility bill, any repairs you will need to make to your home or apartment and any other potential costs associated with leaving your home (e.g., home inspections/appraisals, advertising, cleaning, commission for selling your home, etc.)

Fees for terminating your lease (if applicable), bank accounts, etc.

Research local moving companies and contact the ones you’re interested in working with at least four to six weeks in advance to request a custom moving quote. Work with the professional movers (or the moving truck rental company if you choose to move on your own) to determine what size truck and any additional services or equipment you will need, as these factors significantly influence the cost you will be quoted.

Ask the moving company how much the included insurance will cover should any accidents occur during the move. If you have particularly valuable items that would exceed the included coverage, you may want to pay for additional insurance coverage.

Carefully consider the amount of packing/moving supplies you will need and figure these costs into your budget to your best ability, especially if you’re shipping your items.

During the Move

Factor in how much you will likely have to spend on the trip from your old home to your new one, including gas and any maintenance your vehicle will need before the trip if driving, airfare if flying, food, parking, lodging, etc.

After the Move

Account for how much you will likely be spending once you move into your new home or apartment, including: rent or mortgage payments, home survey fees, property taxes, security and pet deposits, costs associated with setting up utilities, cable and internet, and any other services for which you may be required to pay.

Keep in Mind…

No two moves are exactly alike, so while the aforementioned budget items are the most common costs people moving from one home to another tend to face, this is by no means a foolproof budget, and you will likely have several other things to account for that weren’t included above.

Once you have a rough dollar estimate in mind, you can help factor in the cost of these unexpected expenses by adding an additional 5-10% to your original estimate.

At Arrow Moving & Storage, we go above and beyond to ensure your household move is as quick, affordable and hassle-free as possible. To learn more about our comprehensive residential moving services or to request a free, detailed quote for your upcoming move, contact us online today.

When choosing a moving company to help you uproot your life and transport it across town, the country or the world, it can be tempting to snatch up the cheapest mover you can find without much thought. However, taking the time to do your research can save you a major headache down the line. Look for these telling signs to determine if a mover can meet your needs or should just be avoided.

1. Punctuality

When you schedule a consultation with a moving company representative, your first impressions matter. In essence, a moving company should view your consultation as a chance to win your business. A mover’s punctuality will tell you a lot about how they view their clients. If a moving representative shows up late to your scheduled meeting, the company likely feels they don’t work for you and may not have your best interests in mind. Of course, emergencies happen, but a late representative without a good reason probably just sees you as a number.

2. Professionalism

Most moving companies will aim to project professionalism for all their potential clients. The initial consultation is their only way to inform you of their company culture and display the highest level of customer service you can expect of the company. In short, your consultation is your only chance to see them at their best. Examine the representative’s appearance, uniform and preparation materials. Representatives from bad moving companies will likely appear disheveled, messy and casual, and will lack supplemental materials.

3. Taking Questions

Bad moving companies are usually bad because they don’t necessarily “follow the rules” when they provide services to their clients. Because they know their methods are questionable, many will avoid answering your questions in detail at all costs. If they refuse to answer all of your questions or won’t give you a truthful explanation of their moving processes, it may be time to look elsewhere.

4. Transparency

When you hire movers, you agree to let strangers into your home to handle your personal belongings and then transport them, sometimes without your supervision. This requires plenty of trust on your part. Good movers will recognize this and offer as much transparency about the process as possible. Companies should be able to inform you of how many movers will be in and out of your home, and give an honest estimate of how long the move will take. If they offer a quote that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Posting real reviews online is another great way for movers to make themselves transparent. Good moving companies will accept all reviews, even the poor ones. If a company has no reviews or only positive ratings, it could be a sign the company is not reputable.

5. Documentation

Before you fully trust a moving company to handle your possessions, request their government-issued certifications or registrations. All moving trucks should be registered with the Department of Transportation and the company representative should reassure you that their movers are background checked. If the company has accreditations or awards, a good company would be happy to share those with you. Bad companies may try to avoid these inquiries at all costs.

Move Confidently with Arrow Moving & Storage

Choosing a mover requires a lot of trust. Arrow Moving offers an unparalleled level of customer service and honest quotes to help you achieve peace of mind. To receive your free quote today, contact us online or call 800-593-6683.

Whether it’s across town or across the country, moving as a senior can be a strenuous experience. From planning the move to redecorating the new place, a big move can prove to be exhausting for older adults. Even with the help of friends and family members on moving day, relocation is daunting for individuals who have spent many years in the same home. Arrow Moving and Storage can assist seniors of all ability levels in planning and implementing their move. From beginning to end, Arrow Moving will be there to help every step of the way.

Pre-Moving

Before you or your loved one ever pull out a box, some planning needs to be done to ensure the move goes as smoothly and safely as possible. There’s nothing more frustrating than being unable to fit all of your possessions in the boxes you have to transport. Weeks or even months before a move, our expert senior move team will take a complete inventory of all your loved one’s possessions. We’ll work with our client to downsize their items, even managing and executing all sales, donations, disposals and shipments. With fewer items to move, your loved one can feel comfortable being able to organize and transport all their most precious possessions in as few trips as possible.

Packing and Moving

The moving day is finally here, and it’s time to get packing! Let Arrow Moving & Storage take care of the heavy lifting for you. Our team of courteous, dedicated movers will respectfully pack, load, move, unload and unpack your belongings as quickly and gently as possible. Many seniors may struggle to assist with the moving process due to arthritis, limb weakness or other pre-existing conditions. Luckily, Arrow movers are happy to complete the process in its entirety. You or your loved one may choose to either stay for the entire moving process or enjoy a day out while we finish the job.

Settling In

Arrow’s services don’t stop when the moving is done. Your loved one may need assistance with unpacking and decorating their new home. Whether they’ve moved to an apartment home, assisted living community or a new house, our movers will help place each and every piece with care. Moving is stressful and spending the following days or weeks trying to relocate the items they need in a sea of boxes can make resettling difficult, especially if they have limited mobility. We take our time with each client to ensure their design preferences are being met and their new house begins to feel like home.

Enjoy Moving with Arrow Moving & Storage

Older adults may struggle with the entire process of uprooting their lives and transporting it elsewhere. With Arrow Moving & Storage’s senior moving services, the transition doesn’t have to be so difficult. To receive a quote from our senior moving team, contact us online or call 800-593-6683.